Popular Nigerian Afrobeat singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, spoke in an interview about authenticity and self-expression.
In a recent interview with Essence Magazine, she said the way, she dresses speaks about her true self, and her distinctive nature, not trying to pass a secret message across to people.
She explained “You should be yourself even if something else is expected of you. You win, automatically, when you are yourself, no matter what that looks like. That’s why there’s variety.
“We’re different and are not all meant to be the same. And I know there’s a standard, but there shouldn’t be one. There shouldn’t be a standard for what people should dress like if they’re artists, or what people should dress like if they’re women. I just feel like we’re all unique. There shouldn’t be a requirement. That’s what I mean by standard. There shouldn’t be a requirement or some kind of expectation that you dress a certain way.”
Tems also showed her appreciation for being seen as a role model to people. While reacting to the question, she said “I appreciate that that’s what’s coming across. And I do think people should be themselves. I can’t really be anybody else. It’s just not going to work. You are doing yourself a disservice by trying to be someone else. You should just be who you are. Once you start trying, you’ve already missed the road. That’s a takeaway from how I live my life for sure.”
